Monologues Two Ways

Long lost blog greetings to you, and welcome to those who are new!

Between now and Wednesday, April 4th, I would like you to do the following (read through instructions before doing - it's like following a recipe):

1. When you have a block of 20 minutes, sit down and watch your two monologues. Watch each one AT LEAST twice.

On the second viewing, be sure and write down any tactics you think you see yourself executing (don't  go back to your GOTA sheet - this will work better if you view it without refreshing your memory).

2.  Respond to the following prompts by commenting to this post. REMEMBER NOT TO USE YOUR LAST NAME!! You should take about 5 minutes to consider each prompt, and about 5 minutes to write your response. PLEASE PROOFREAD and EDIT!!
a. Briefly describe what tactics you think you executed in each monologue, compared to how many you may have actually set out on your GOTA.
b. Do you think your monologues were substantially different? Why or why not?
c. (Take a little longer on this one . . . and be honest - I assess on honesty, not on "right" answers.) What are some steps you could take to improve your execution of tactics? What steps would you take in the future to keep from getting caught in a "rut" of how you perform a monologue?

Thunderous - Hagen Wrap Up 11/18

I'd like each one of you to write down which three Hagen exercises you used for your scene. You don't have to go into detail about how you did the exercise - just a brief description.

Where I WOULD like you to go into detail is in discussing:
1. How you anticipated or thought each exercise would affect your scene/work; and
2. How each exercise actually DID affect your scene/work.

Last but not least, reflect upon your performance and whether or not you were able to be truthful under imaginary circumstances during the performance (not during rehearsals). If so, try to describe what that means to you and how it felt. If not, what do you think made it difficult to do so?

Thanks for your hard work and for performing in front of Drama I. I can't wait to see how these scenes look after the Meisner unit!

THUNDEROUS - Fourth Wall

1. Provide some thoughtful reflection on how this exercise might be useful to you in future performances. Do you have trouble with audience awareness? Explore a time (or times) in performance when the audience intruded into your work - and remember, that includes anytime you were not in the moment, i.e., you started worrying about whether you were doing something right, what your line was, etc. How would regularly using this exercise help?


2. Going beyond the issues of audience awareness, what are some reasons to use this exercise anyway? What other possible skills might it develop?

RESPONSES DUE BY 9 A.M., SATURDAY 10/22.

DRAMA I - Tues, 10/18 - Sensory Improv Exercises

Now that you've spent some time developing your sensory abilities on stage, I'd like you to discuss how each of the following exercises will help you when you improvise a scene (Yes - discuss all six exercises!):
1. Mirror exercise;
2. Taste and smell;
3. Three changes;
4. Tug of war;
5. Ball; and
6. Conversation with involvement.

Be sure to describe and explore what you did in each exercise that really helped you develop helpful skills, as well as anything you discovered that maybe surprised you or confused you. If you had trouble with any of these exercises, discuss that as well. You can also explore how these exercises might relate to the rules of improv that you were given.

REMEMBER: The depth of your reflection is more important than thinking about what answer I'm looking for - there is no "right" answer!

ANSWERS DUE BY SATURDAY, 10/22, 9 A.M.

DRAMA I - Tues, 10/4

Now that you have created a character out of thin air, and subsequently written a scenario involving that character, discuss the following (please number each answer!):

1. What part did you find most challenging about creating the character?

2. How did your group negotiate and compromise on different character traits?

3. With respect to your script, do you think you were able to reveal your character's personality without being too obvious (think about our discussion in class regarding the deep voice/self-conscious character)? Describe two specific ways in which you did, or ways that you could have improved your script to do so.

4. Was it difficult to form a coherent script with characters that had so many "quirks"? Explain why or why not, and how you would shape your character differently if you were to do this again.

Thunderous Applause: Essential Acting Quotes

Choose one of the following quotes and tell me how you think it applies to the work we are doing with Uta Hagen. Think of this as a mini-essay: give me a thesis statement with your opinion, and two (or more)  sentences of support explaning why you believe what you do.

1. "For most actors, success is achieved through study, struggle, preparation, infinite trial and error, training, discipline, experience and work!" - Robert Cohen

2.  “With any part you play, there is a certain amount of yourself in it. There has to be, otherwise it's just not acting. It's lying.” - Johnny Depp

3. “Growth as an actor and as a human being are synonymous” - Stella Adler

Quotes courtesy of Actor's Realm/Volcanic Theatre (http://www.actorsrealm.com/index.php?p=1_24_Essential-Quotes)

Drama I - Friday 9/16 Ensemble Journal

Of the four activities we did today (Birthday Line Up, Story Mirror, Interview, and Two Minute Movie), which activity helped your group really work together? In other words, which activity do you think helped bring group members together so that they worked to achieve a common goal without anyone dominating the activity? Be sure to say WHY you think this activity was the best at creating an ensemble dynamic!

Your answer should be at least 100 words - be thoughtful and SPECIFIC - vagueness is the enemy of art!